BREAKING NEWS: St. Paul Vikings Stadium?

It's Sunday, and we are still plugging away at the Capitol. With adjournment possibly just a few days away, there's a lot of action here, some progress, and even a couple surprises.

ST. PAUL VIKINGS STADIUM? Joe Mauer might just be the quarterback the Vikings have been looking for. Off the field, that is. With the Vikings' hopes of securing state financing for a new stadium floundering at the Capitol, the St. Paul native and Twins catcher flew back from today's game against the Boston Red Sox to be on hand as St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman pitched a plan to bring the Vikings to St. Paul. 

As WCCO's Pat Kessler is reporting, Mayor Coleman's proposal isn't a complete surprise. The mayor has been making the rounds at the Capitol for several days. 

What is a surprise, however, is the announcement that Joe Mauer has acquired a 10% interest in the football team, making him at 28 years old the youngest owner in the NFL.

MAYORS TO RUN LOCAL SCHOOLS. As I mentioned in last week’s posting, legislation was expected to come up for a vote in the legislature that would put mayors in charge of local school districts, replacing school superintendents. 

While originally aimed at just urban schools, the reform-oriented concept was expanded to apply to all Minnesota schools and passed with overwhelming support. 

Though I voted no, the proposal is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Dayton as early as tomorrow and would go into effect on August 1st. Inver Grove Mayor George Tourville said he is excited about the opportunity and would likely place each of four IGH city council members in charge of a separate school.

VOTER ID GOES HIGH TECH. A proposed constitutional amendment that would require people to show an ID in order to vote got a decidedly high-tech boost late last week. In addition to the option of presenting a photo ID, voters could instead opt to have a tiny microchip inserted into their forearms.  

Using scanners akin to those in a supermarket checkout line, election judges would be able to immediately identify a voter, eliminating the possibility that fake ID's will be used to vote. This would address that concern that college students as well as a lot of senior citizens without drivers licenses will use fake ID's to vote. 

Being microchipped holds other advantages as well. Microchipped voters would be able to use MnPass lanes on I-394 more easily, get into state parks quickly, buy alcohol at municipal liquor stores without being carded, and, if lost, be taken to local veterinarian for rapid identification. 

Former Gov. Jesse Ventura, who is convinced the federal government has already implanted a microchip somewhere on his body, is organizing the opposition to this proposal. He told Channel 5's Tom Hauser he will be holding a rally at a secret location tomorrow. The public is invited.

By now, if you have read this far, you have probably realized this blog post may not be entirely factual, or factual at all for that matter.

It continues a tradition of April Fool’s updates I have sent the past few years. 

To be added to my update list, please send me an email at Rep.Joe.Atkins@house.mn. To see last year’s April Fool's Day update, go to www.Facebook.com/State.Rep.Joe.Atkins. 

Even in challenging times, it is important to try to maintain a sense of humor. Have a great week!